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Shore Leave
' |image= |series= |production=6149-17 |producer(s)= |story=Theodore Sturgeon |script=Gene Roddenberry |director=Robert Sparr |imdbref=tt0708446 |guests=Emily Banks as Tonia Barrows, Oliver NcGowan as Caretaker, Perry Lopaz as Lt. Esteban Rodriguez, Bruce Mars as Finnegan, Barbara Baldwin as Ens. Angela Martine, Marcia Brown as Alice, Shirley Bonne as Ruth, Bill Blackburn as White Rabbit and Paul Baxley as Black Knight |previous_production=The Menagerie Part 2 |next_production=The Squire of Gothos |episode=TOS S01E15 |airdate=29 December 1966 |previous_release=Balance of Terror |next_release=The Galileo Seven |story_date(s)=3025.3 - 3025.8 (2267) |previous_story=The Menagerie Part 2 |next_story=The Squire of Gothos }} Summary Captain Kirk decides to give his crew shore leave on an inviting Earth-like planet, but trouble begins when McCoy sees a giant, talking white rabbit, being chased by a little girl. Sulu is menaced by a Samurai warrior; other crewmembers are strafed by aircraft, chased by tigers, and threatened by swordsmen. Kirk meets Finnegan, an old nemesis from his Academy days, and Ruth, an old flame. Then McCoy is killed by a black knight on horseback, and the perils become progressively deadlier. Spock and Kirk realise their thoughts are being brought to life. A kindly old man appears, identifying himself as the Caretaker, and explains they are in an “amusement park,” where advanced alien science synthesises the “entertainment” from the thoughts of the “vacationers.”McCoy appears, alive and well in the company of two Rigel cabaret girls. Kirk decides that, with the proper mental precautions, this can be a good shore leave planet after all, just as Ruth reappears. Plot Oversights # Angela Martine getting cosy with Rodriguez, apparently so soon after the death of her fiancé. Rodriguez could have helped Angela overcome her grief. # Insects on a planet on which the scanners only detected plant life. Either the scanner failed to detect the insects or they were created from the same material as the plants. # Sulu’s comment about someone beaming down from the bridge. This could be a reference to an experiment in site to site transport. # No mention of the shuttle. They probably think it could be more dangerous that the transporter. # Kirk and Spock's apprehension about the chained tiger. The chain holding the tiger could be a fake. # Angela Martine not appearing at the end of the episode. She must be resting out of shot. Equipment Oddities # The six round chambered Police Special firing seven shots. It must have been reloaded, either manually by Sulu, or automatically by the Caretaker. Continuity and Production problems # A second aircraft briefly appearing in the sky. According to the trivia page on this episode's IMDB entry, this is a Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" which briefly appears in order to attack the Vought F4U Corsair already visible. # The uniform worn by Yeoman Barrows being intact at the end, even though it was torn at the shoulder by Don Juan. The Caretaker could have repaired or replaced it. Internet Movie Database Continuity # Before Yeoman Barrows changes into the "damsel in distress" gown, her uniform is very torn on her right side (from "Don Juan"), but when she changes out of the dress and back into her uniform, her uniform is only slightly torn and on her left side. Possibly evidence of an attempted repair by the Caretaker. # When Kirk and Spock are examining the knight dummy, its eyes are open and then close, with no one touching them (even more to the point, there's no logical reason for the dummy to have functional eyelids). This could be a side effect of the dummy's self-diagnostic. # When Yeoman Barrows changes into the medieval princess gown, she leaves her tights hanging on a tree. However, when she runs over to join Kirk and Spock (after the knight has impaled McCoy), she is still wearing them. She probably put them back on after fastening the dress. Incorrectly regarded as goofs # After Sulu fires the pistol, he rubs the barrel, clearly appreciating the object. After firing the barrel would be extremely hot and impossible to touch bare-handed without severe pain being caused. (IMDB) The "park" they're in would very likely have safeguards to prevent this, unrestrained by the usual laws of physics. Nit Central # Keith Alan Morgan on Wednesday, April 14, 1999 - 11:58 am: McCoy is the first to see something, but then quite a few minutes pass before somebody else discovers a fantasy object. Why didn't several people see things at around the same time? They were probably concentrating on their allotted tasks, leaving McCoy free to let his mind wander. # McCoy stands up to the knight because he doesn't believe it is real, but Yeoman Barrows is wearing a Princess outfit, so does McCoy believe she is just walking around wearing nothing? No - he just finds the outfit more believable than the knight. # MattS on Thursday, May 13, 1999 - 10:31 am: Rodriguez doesn't draw his phaser on the tiger. He knows that getting out an obvious weapon, such as a phaser, may make the tiger more angry. Notes Category:The Original Series Category:Episodes